The Subway Shuffle

The New York Times had an excellent video and article recently about the challenges facing subway riders in New York City. With office space available near major MTA subways stations such as Grand Central Terminal in Midtown and Fulton St. Station in the Financial District, many of our customers rely on the subway system to get them where they need to go every day. New York’s subway is the largest rapid-transit system in the US. Only Tokyo, Moscow, Beijing and a few others see a higher ridership. It is estimated that 5.3 million people use the New York City subway on a typical weekday.

Every day, many of these riders make the “subway shuffle”. This delicate dance of commuters happens at many subway stations, but the New York Times chooses to focus on the N – Q – R platform at 34th St. at Herald Square. One train arrives, and commuters must bolt across the platform, sometimes in a vain attempt to make a connection. Other times, a train will be waiting at the station – the same train arrives across the platform, and is gone before the original train has even departed.

In a city that is moving faster than any other, these seconds and minutes matter to New York City’s commuters and residents. It can be the difference between being on time for an important meeting, and having to use the excuse “the train was late”. And more outside the city deal with delays from NJ Transit and LIRR service. Not to mention, the foot and motor vehicle traffic isn’t exactly light in Midtown at Midday. Everyone has a shuffle to make – but we hope you make it to your office safe, sound and on time no matter how you’re getting there.